Things We Lost In The Fire
by afangirlsmuse
Summary: The year is 2033 and magic has been exposed to the world. Those unfortunate enough to be considered magical face troubling fates, but hope comes in the form of the most powerful magic of all - True Love.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Things We Lost In The Fire  
**Rating: **M  
**Pairing(s): **Emma/Regina. It does include other characters, however. Maybe heavily at times._  
_**Show/Fandom: **Once Upon a Time (a hint of Fringe)  
**Author's note: **I'm forever crossing over Fringe and OUaT and now finally decided to write one of those ideas. Basically all of this inspiration comes from Fringe, my wonderful little sci-fi show, but changed to fit in with the OUaT verse and SQ. It references the show in some parts (particularly S5) and follows some storylines. Even some dialogue that I just _had _to include. I know Emma and Regina aren't in the chapter for a while, but keep with me (I had to explain some things before getting to them), the story is all them. And others, as you will come to learn. I hope you like it, and the twist, too. I'll continue the story as long as people are willing to read it. I haven't forgotten about Modern Royals, either. Chapter two will be coming soon. Any mistakes are my own because I'm sleepy and don't have a beta. Enjoy!  
**Here's a disclaimer: **Yeah, I don't own anything but the writing. This is just for fun.  
**Summary: **The year is 2033 and magic has been exposed to the world. Those unfortunate enough to be considered magical face troubling fates, but hope comes in the form of the most powerful magic of all - True Love.

* * *

******CHAPTER ONE**

* * *

**BOSTON, 2033.**

The streets were littered with trash from overturned tin cans and the city's previous downfall made obvious by the large puddles formed in the cracks in the pavement. Boots stomped with confidence, their owner - a woman in her early twenties, walked through the dark alleyway with a look of what could only be considered apprehension on her face.

However, as she neared her destination, her impeccable mask was slipped into place.

Dressed down in jeans, boots, a t-shirt and leather jacket, she was every bit an agent. She seemed to just exert an air of authority, even with her childlike features. Even with the dimples that spilled onto her cheeks with every crack of her lips. Holstered to her hip sat the new model of _defensive weaponry. _It looked like a gun, but didn't exactly have the same endgame as one.

With the back entrance in sight, she reached around and one could assume she was drawing the weapon, but instead she produced an ID card as she approached the large metal door of the run-down looking building. Seriously, it looked like it could crumble with the tiniest vibration.

She didn't need to announce her presence. No, she merely stood, awaiting patiently as the sound of a zoom was heard to her left, no doubt the CCTV. When the door finally opened it revealed a large man with biceps that could easily match the size of her whole body. Twice, even.

The girl, however, remained still, looking at him expectantly.

"ID," he spoke, voice gruff. He wasn't a guy to be messed with, clearly.

The woman produced the placard and he looked it over, looked her over, then scanned it. Though she felt a wave of uncertainty wash over her, for reasons other than fear born of the card not checking out, because it would; it was legit. But for something else entirely.

The fact that he was taking his sweet ass time didn't help, either.

"Well?" She almost snapped but despite her inner frustration and fear, her voice was relatively calm. She was just asking a question, hurrying him along in a soft and gentle manner.

The response she received was a grunt as the ID was scanned for the second time, emitting a pale blue glow as it took in the credentials. Her stomach tightened at the sight, now _that_ had never happened before, it had always checked out. Always.

A few more uncomfortable seconds ticked on and finally the man seemed to get his answer through his ear piece. He handed her back the card and stepped to the side.

Now, seemingly ever the gentleman, he nodded his head. "Agent." He acknowledged.

Not one to chance anything, especially after having come so close mere seconds earlier, she offered a tight smile and slipped past him into the building.

The corridor was long and bare. Depressing, really. It was also eerily quiet. Honestly, it gave her the willies. She was sure she would never get used to it, even having been there countless times in the past and no doubt would continue to do so in the future. But she strode with that same confidence she always held and as she turned down the corridor, the faint sound of music began to sound from the far end door.

Pausing only briefly, she collected herself, and entered.

* * *

Feet pounded against pavement, the vision around him nothing but a blur as the the blood rushed within his ears. He could hear the footsteps behind him, each pair picking up in pace in their pursuit. Luckily he had the knowledge of knowing the backstreets of Boston and quickly cut through an alley and out onto the street.

Despite its late time, it was fairly crowded with people milling about, keeping to themselves. That was where he paused, shedding his now soaking pea coat (because in his rush he had fallen down the fire escape and into a rather large puddle) and tossed it in the direction of a homeless man.

"Hey man, I don't do charity!"

But the male had already raced ahead. Incognito, it seemed, was what he was going for. Looking around and eyeing each person that passed, he pushed back his wet hair and stole a pair of shades from a coffee table. The owner didn't seem to notice and he was all too happy to slip them on.

Next he picked up a black leather jacket from the back of an unoccupied chair and smoothed into a walk, slipping into the crowd as four men rounded the corner, puzzling expressions coating their faces. They discussed something quietly and then headed down the street, unknowingly in the opposite direction of the person they had been chasing.

Catching a look at his pursuers fading away to nothing, he smiled smugly and walked ahead.

* * *

The classical music did nothing to calm her nerves. If anything, it only served to aggravate them. She was more of a punk rock girl herself. She drummed her fingers against the bar and smiled as she ordered an apple martini. Might as well make herself comfortable as she waited for her company.

_Did you get it yet?_

Scanning the text for the third time, she rolled her eyes at the sender's impatience.

_Not yet, still waiting. What are you up to?_

_The usual._

That made her lip tug downward, the beginning of a frown.

_What did you do?_

She didn't get a reply right away and that was enough to put her on edge. She chugged back the martini despite herself and impatiently tapped her boot against the stool. Just as her patience was wearing thin, her phone vibrated.

_Hey, it's my job to worry about you. Not the other way around. Don't worry, Ella. Just make sure you keep to the schedule._

Honestly, she couldn't control it. Her eyes rolled to their own accord as she typed in her simple reply of 'okay' and pressed send.

For the most part her brother was okay, but there were times like these, where he withheld pieces of information from her that she wondered if he did it solely to get a rise out of her. Realistically he was just protecting her, she knew that, but she was more than capable of protecting herself. Though, she thought, they _were _close to what they had been working on for years now. Maybe he just didn't want to get her hopes up, not when past leads had left them devastated.

Lost in her thoughts she barely noticed as a man in a suit walked by her. He didn't even look at her, just casually placed a manila envelope onto the bar beside her and carried on his journey. As soon as he had appeared, he was gone.

Ella didn't let it worry her too much. Instead she focused on opening what had been left for her. Inside revealed many papers, and what they held, well, made both her heart and stomach clench and she didn't know if she wanted to jump into the air with a fist or throw up. Probably both.

"What you got there?"

The voice caught her off guard, caused her to jump and hug the envelope protectively. When she turned and saw that it was her boss, well everyone's boss, she swallowed and composed herself. "Nothing, just a lead on something, Mr. Bower." She answered, ever the professional. It wasn't technically a lie, but it wasn't the complete truth either.

Grinning, the man - Javier - waved off his male company, his usual bodyguards, and sat on the stool beside Ella. He looked impeccable, as always, in his Armani suit with shoes so shiny Ella could see her own reflection. She was sure his shoes were worth more than her apartment and car combined.

"I assure you'll inform me should it turn out to be something." There was something about the way he said it. Not a question, more of an expectation. She nodded, knowingly. "Good." He smiled, easing into a lighter mood with a grin that reminded Ella of a hyena.

"I assume you know why I brought you here," Javier began, a lighter in hand. Ella had to force herself not to flinch as he ignited a flame, never a fan of fire in any form. He merely basked in the silence and lit up his cigar. Moments passed, awkwardly, and he finally took a pull from the cigar, exhaling smoke with that same damn hyena smile. "We lost another, today."

Ella had spent many years living a lie, used to a façade, but his words caused a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her face appeared neutral in his presence, and she nodded. "Too bad," she replied like they had lost a case and not a human being's life.

"Indeed." Javier flicked off some ash into the tray and sighed. "They seem to be dropping like flies. It seems their bodies can no longer hold out on the… treatment." It was a sadistic grin, one that made Ella want to punch it clean off his face. But she sat still nonetheless.

"Perhaps," Ella began, "we should give them more time in between sessions. It would allow their bodies to recover and maybe restore the cells in which you are trying to attain."

Javier seemed to think that over and as the bartender handed him a glass of scotch, he scoffed. "No," he murmured, sipping from the glass with lips turning up momentarily. "They are animals and they will get no-"

"With all due respect, sir, they are people. Not animals. And if you treat them as such then what you are trying to achieve will prove futile." The vein on Javier's neck almost burst and it was then that Ella realised her mistake. Quick to rectify it, she added, "I mean, they see themselves as such, so if we treat them in a way that is considered… human, then perhaps you will get better results."

A long moment passed and out of the corner of her eye Ella glanced at the bodyguards. She wondered if she could take them should she need to, she was sure she should. Just as she was debating her little escape plan, Javier spoke.

"I will take it into consideration."

_Oh, thank God. _Ella deflated, releasing a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding in.

Javier finished off his drink, discarded his cigar and stood up. He was smiling again and in its own sick way, it looked genuine. "I trust your instincts, Ella. You always have been my best agent."

"Thank you, sir." Ella smiled and once Javier left, slumped in the chair.

* * *

The van was waiting for her as she left the building. Once inside she gave the driver a once over and laughed heartily at his appearance of slicked back hair, dark sunglasses, and a leather jacket. It wasn't his usual attire so it was definitely… something else.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," he murmured, turning the key as the engine roared to life.

"I'm sorry, _Nolan_, I just wasn't aware you were going for the boy band look." Ella teased him playfully, earning a nudge from her brother as he pulled the van out of park and began to drive down the Boston streets.

"So?" He prodded after a moment of silence enveloped them.

As if remembering, Ella removed the envelope with a nervous smile. "I got it."

"And Javier…?"

"Didn't suspect a thing," she answered quickly. "It worked brilliantly, going there to meet him while waiting for this. But…" How could she even begin to articulate what she was feeling, about what had happened?

A feeling of dread filled the van and though Nolan's eyes were on the road Ella could see his hands tighten around the steering wheel. "Another person died, didn't they?" His tone challenged her, told her to deny it, to give him a piece of mind. Something, anything.

But Ella's solemn nod and sigh were enough. Nolan slammed his hand against the steering wheel, cursed loudly and then honked the horn at a particularly slow car.

"Hey." Ella soothed in a look of furrowed eyebrows that reminded him way too much of their mother. "It's going to be okay, we'll use it as motivation. We won't stop until we take that son of a bitch down, until we correct all the wrongs made by those who are unwilling to understand."

Nolan took in her words, nodded, and briefly cast his eyes to the side with a small smile. "You're like her, you know. Mom."

At his admission Ella swallowed visibly, hating how her eyes filled with tears wishing to be shed. "I wouldn't know," she replied, both knowing what it meant, but neither willing to comment.

Instead they set their sights on their apartment and once they had gathered what was needed, took to the road again with Maine as their destination.

* * *

_Welcome to Storybrooke._

The sign that once welcomed newcomers was nothing but a piece of shrapnel, tossed to the side of the road. And where the entrance into town used to be surrounded by acres of green, was nothing more than ash and dead plants. It was the picture of the apocalypse, like some futuristic end of the world movie.

Nolan had been avoiding returning to the town for a long time, not willing to see his home in such a state. He also didn't want to return unless he had absolute proof of what he needed. And last night he had gotten it, thanks to his sister who currently took in their surroundings with a look he couldn't quite decipher.

For the most part the town was still standing. Many buildings were down, nothing but rubble and dirt with yards untended to, overgrown and dying. What had once been full of life was now a ghost town.

Nolan stopped the van in the middle of town, checking over a map while placing another on top of it and using a pen to make calculated lines. He was always better at the math thing than Ella was so she decided to step out into the morning chill with arms hugging her waist.

Desperately, she wanted something to stand out and seem familiar but nothing came to mind. Nothing until her eyes found a particular scorch mark on the gravel up ahead. She gasped as an unwanted memory ripped through her mind.

_The sound of choppers sounded overhead loudly. Everything was loud, everything was bright. People were screaming, running for their lives as military personnel stormed into the town. They wore gas masks and hazmat suits as if being around Storybrooke's residents would cause disease._

_For the most part Ella clutched onto her mother, her small arms around the woman's neck. She was crying, screaming, really, not knowing what was going on. A three year old had no such concept of war, after all._

"_Mama," she wailed, burying her head into the neck of the woman who brought her the greatest comfort. _

_RPGs were launched, shot into buildings, into vehicles. Fires erupted around the town and the loud bangs caused Ella to flinch, her grip on her mother tightening._

"_It's okay, it's okay," her mother spoke, her voice gravelly yet warm. "I'm here, it's-"_

_The whole town rumbled and a blast shot through the centre. Ella's grip on her mother loosened as they were caught in the blast, thrown apart and landing on opposite ends of the street. While the three year old, knees scraped and tights torn, cried out, her mother didn't respond. She didn't even move. She was slumped, blood pouring from a wound on her head._

_Amidst it all, Ella stood, tears cascading down her dirty cheeks and leaving streaks in their wake. _

Of all the things to lose in the fire, her family had been one of them. Ella realised then that she was crying and wiped the tears away before Nolan could see. He didn't need to know of what she was reliving and with an exhale, she was ready to go. So she hopped back into the van, her brother ready with their information and continuing down towards Mifflin Street.

The sight of the mansion made Nolan's heart stop momentarily. It was not how he remembered it, but it was exactly how Ella remembered, having been their years prior. But Nolan didn't need to know about that.

The paint was peeling, the gate on the ground and most of the windows were shattered. The shrubs and bushes all overgrown, all wilting. It reminded Ella of a scary house you'd find in a horror movie where kids would enter despite being told not to.

The door slammed behind her as she stepped out of the van. "One-Oh-Eight, Mifflin Street," she mused, her breath visible in the air before her.

Nolan smiled, almost bitterly. "Home sweet home."

"_Ella!" A voice called, male and young. But the child didn't respond, her eyes trained on the slumped form of her mother. It was only when she felt her feet being pulled from the ground that she realised she was in her brother's arms._

"_Henry!" She exclaimed, clutching onto the almost sixteen year old. _

_Balancing the small child on his hip, Henry stroked her light brunette curls and pressed a kiss to the side of her head in relief. They were standing in the middle of a battlefield, yet he all he saw was her. "You're okay?" He asked her, tears in his own eyes. "Where's Mama?" He asked, growing uneasy. Ella had been with Regina the last he had seen them._

_But Ella remained silent, holding onto her big brother like he was her lifeline. Her eyes stared ahead and after a moment, Henry followed her line of sight to see his mother - to see Regina - on the ground up ahead, unmoving, with more blood on her than he thought was humanly possible._

_Though his knees buckled he made quick work of guiding his sister's eyes, shielding her from such a sight. "It's okay," he told her, much like Regina had done previously. When he found his feet were working again, he moved off of the road and found shelter behind an overturned SUV. "It's okay." He told Ella again, and it sounded like a mantra more than anything._

"_Mommy?" Her small voice asked._

_Henry closed his eyes as he replayed Emma shouting at him while fighting off a group of men._

"_Henry, run! Get out of here and don't look back, you hear me? Go to your mom and sister and leave. Leave Storybrooke, don't look back, kid. I love you."_

_Henry swallowed the lump in his throat and hugged Ella, answer enough._

Ella followed Henry into the house. She figured she could call him that - Henry, now that they were back home and they didn't have to keep their identities a secret. At first he hadn't been all that willing of parting with his given name but trading in one grandfather's name for the other's seemed like a good way to go. So he became Nolan Miller.

Ella's identity, however, was a little more complicated.

Subconsciously Ella's hand found the necklace she wore each and every day without fail. In fact, since she got it, she hadn't removed it. Not once, not even to shower. She ran her fingers over its smooth edges as she always did in moments to soothe herself and feel close to her parents.

"So, which room?" Ella asked, curious. She hadn't asked Henry during the short drive over because a part of her didn't seem to believe that it was happening, a part of her believed it was all a dream because surely it couldn't be real. Surely it wasn't possible?

"Uh…" Henry scratched his head again and took the time to reevaluate his mappings. "Moms' room," he finally spoke, satisfied with his equations.

Without hesitation Ella took to the stairs and easily found her way to the master room that once belonged to their parents. Where, according to Henry, they had spent many nights together, the four of them, watching movies. And apparently Ella was a frequent visitor much to her parents dismay. She only wished she could remember such things but she had realised a long time ago not to dwell on it. Which maybe was why, in that moment, she didn't get her hopes up.

Henry trailed in behind her, his eyes widened in a way that was all Emma. "How did you know this was the room?"

"What?" Wrapped up in her viewing of the room which was exactly how she remembered - broken bedpost, shattered mirror, looted closet and jewellery box. Suddenly it hit her and she paled as she turned to face her brother. "Okay, so maybe I was here before." She admitted.

"What?!" He boomed and Ella was sure she felt the floorboards shake. "Do you know how stupid that is, Ella? How dangerous? I swear, sometimes you have no regard for your own life let alone the-"

"Hey!" She was the one who yelled now. "I wanted to feel close to them, okay?" It came out far too soft, far too vulnerable and she mentally cursed herself for such a display. But Henry didn't push her, he stood there instead, awaiting her continuation. "You have all these memories of them…" she sighed. "I just wanted something… I don't know. I wanted a memory, I wanted to remember." She shrugged, yet again touching the necklace she wore, holding it and tracing it like it was some kind of lifeline. Maybe it was.

"I get it." Henry spoke after he had digested the words spoken. "I do, but Ella…" he shook his head, "you're my only family, and if anything happened to you…" He didn't even want to think about it, he was sure that was something he would never come back from. He had already spent so long looking for her. "You have to be careful, if anyone were to find out who you really were, who you came from-"

"I know," she butted in because she did, she knew she wasn't like anyone in the world. She was completely unique, right down to her DNA sequence. A sad smile slipped onto her lips, "I love being special." It was said with such heaviness that Henry dropped all anger he currently held and crossed the room in two quick strides, wrapping her up in a tight hug.

"You're very special," he agreed though lighter than she had spoken of it. He smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "What you are is great."

Wrapped up in Henry's arms with nothing but love radiating from him, Ella couldn't help but feel safe and protected. His words had a profound affect on her and caused her to smile as she held him. No thanks were needed, she and her brother always had a way of communicating silently. So instead he rubbed her back and they parted, briefly allowing their foreheads to connect.

They then stepped apart and Henry raised his left hand, coaxing for Ella to do the same. When she did, he moved to connect them, palm against palm. "Close your eyes," he told her, "take a breath."

Ella did as she was instructed. Her eyes fluttered closed and she took a breath though it did little to calm the erratic beating of her heart as the reality of the situation sunk in. She was about to question the next move when Henry spoke, as if reading her mind.

"Magic is emotion." She nodded, she knew that much. "You have to feel it. Think about them, about me. Allow your love, your pain, to come to the surface. _Feel _it, don't hold back."

As much as she wanted to protest against the idea, she found herself following Henry's instructions, found herself picturing faces she thought she had long ago forgotten. She allowed herself to feel those messy emotions she kept away and allowed fuel her case. She let it all come to the surface in an overwhelming burst of light.

When she opened her eyes she was exactly where had stood upon closing them, except everything was cleaner. Nothing was broken. The bed was perfect, the closet was full of clothes, the jewellery box contained pearls and earrings and necklaces. The carpet was even soft under her feet.

Then, she realised, she was on a different plane. One hidden from what the world had become, one protecting those who had sought refuge during the day of the Purge.

Henry was smiling at her like the goof he was and he patted her on the shoulder with something akin to the pride a father would feel for his daughter. "Good job, sis. See? Great."

"Do you think-"

Ella's question faded away as the door downstairs slammed, familiar voices filtering through.

"I told you it wasn't going to work!" The first voice yelled, a mix of frustration and disappointment.

"Well excuse me for trying! I, for one, don't want to spend the rest of my life on this god damn plane. And unlike _some _people, who prefer moping around with a glass of cider, I prefer action. I will tear this whole damn place down if it means finding a way off of it."

A chuckle, dark in nature, was heard after the little speech. "I'd like to see you try, dear." And then a clank of what was no doubt a class followed by the sound of something being poured. The cider, Ella deduced. It was when she realised who the voices belonged to, she looked at Henry who wore the same expression as she did - disbelief.

It had worked. The intel was right, and after years of trying to find out if their parents were even alive, here they were, in their room, listening to them argue downstairs like they were little kids again.

It took all of Ella's self-control to not just take off down the stairs. She decided to follow Henry's lead instead, following his form out of the room and down the hall. With each step taken her heartbeat picked up and she moved her hand to play with the necklace, holding onto it tightly as if to ground herself.

"Regina," the voice, Emma, sighed, "we can't keep doing this."

A pause.

"Why bother?" Regina threw out, the sound of her body hitting leather heard as she sat herself against the arm chair. "Why go back to a world that caused us nothing but pain?"

Another pause. Ella listened intently as she and Henry moved down the stairs slowly.

"Because," Emma began. She had moved to kneel in front of Regina. "To make those bastards pay for what they took from us." Such hatred and conviction dripped from her words and honestly, it made Ella's body shiver. She had no doubt that Emma would take her cause to the source should she be able to.

"I have learned long ago that vengeance won't bring back what is lost. Maybe it's better this way."

"You can't possibly think that, not about this. Where's the Evil Queen, huh?"

Regina laughed, low and throatily but void of any true amusement. "I put her away a long time ago, you know that."

Emma sighed, unaware of the now approaching duo outside the door of the study. "Well maybe she is what we need to get out of here. I'm tired of hiding, Regina. I can't do it anymore. I can't stay here day after day, not aging, and being trapped in a lie. It's a curse. Their-" her voice faltered and caught in her throat "-rooms are still upstairs, and I swear if I just walk in I'll see Henry sitting on his bed with a book or if I just go down the hall and into…" she swallowed, shaking her head. "I just can't."

Regina's eyes snapped up, the glass dropping from her hand and shattering as she caught sight of the two strangers within her home. What startled her, however, was the fact that they weren't any of the people she and Emma brought to the plane in the first place.

Emma followed Regina's gaze but whereas Regina sat shocked, Emma took on the defensive action. "Who the hell are you?" She growled out not appreciating being interrupted, in the middle of a very intimate conversation no less. Instinctively she stepped in front of Regina who was gaining her bearings and standing on wobbly legs.

"Emma-"

"I asked you a question!" Emma barked, ignoring Regina, and staring at the male and female who didn't exactly seem like a threat, but she found one nonetheless.

"Emma," firmer now, Regina moved out from around her. She was staring at the male with something akin to recognition in her eyes. Then she gasped. "No. It can't- you're…"

In reply Henry launched himself at Regina almost knocking her over in the process. He was taller than her now, by a good few inches, and while he held her like she could disappear at any moment, it took Regina a moment to wind her arms around him.

"What…" Emma began, as usual, the last the know. "Regina?"

Ella was twisting the necklace around in her fingers furiously, feeling like she could pass out at any moment. It was as if no time had passed, memories she didn't realise she had came rushing back. She recalled Regina and Emma's faces perfectly but they didn't recognize her. No, she was in the back as Regina choked out Henry's name and Emma's eyes widened in shock before being pulled into the family embrace.

No questions were asked as the little family held one another. Though as they realised the fourth person in the room they pulled back and Henry swiped at his eyes before he gestured for Ella to come closer. She didn't move, she couldn't, her feet felt cemented to the ground.

Regina followed Henry's gaze and settled them on the beautiful young woman before her. She was tall and slender, sporting tight dark jeans with boots to the knee. Her t-shirt was rumpled and old and her jacket, leather, coloured the same as her jeans. She almost laughed at how much it reminded her of Emma. _Emma_, she realised, and glanced to her left to see the blonde eyeing the girl in the same way, making the same connection she had made seconds before.

Regina dragged her eyes back to the girl, focused on her face with lips parting in a silent gasp. Her eyes, a light bluey-green contrasted with her light brown curls and those dips in her cheeks, those…

"Daniella?" Emma was the one to speak, completely taken aback at the sight before her.

Regina still couldn't find her voice, shell-shocked beyond belief. Not because the daughter she had thought died long ago was standing before her, but because of the whole situation. Her children - _their children_ - were standing in front of her, grown up. And, well, very much alive.

"Come here," came Henry's whisper and it was barely audible as Ella walked towards him with eyes never leaving Regina or Emma. Henry had nodded at Emma's question and the blonde covered her mouth, turning and taking a few steps away as she gathered her thoughts.

Better start with Regina first, he reasoned.

"Regina," he began, gently pulling his sister forward, "this is Ella." Both women looked at one another, Ella the picture of a child, innocence claiming her features as though she was that three year old from all those years ago. Regina, on the other hand, was looking at Ella with awe. Like she couldn't believe that her baby was now a woman. "Ella," Henry then added, "come meet your mom."

"Hi mama." The words left her mouth before she could stop them and took a tentative step towards Regina who had sat back down on the chair in fear that her legs would give out on her. Ella knelt, a small space between the pair as she peered up through thick lashes and watery eyes.

Regina took in everything about her daughter. Her eyes, her lips, her nose, her dimples. Her hairline and eyebrows, the way her eyelashes moved as she looked up at her. A smiled tugged at her lips, brief, unbelieving. "You're beautiful." She stated, not much higher than a whisper.

That prompted a few tears to fall and Ella scrunched her eyebrows with a smile. "So are you."

Regina got lost in Ella's eyes, mesmerized as she leaned closer, carefully wrapping a hand around her neck to draw her in for an embrace. She stopped momentarily, smelling her hair, re-familiarizing herself with the scent of her baby and it felt like no time had passed. She pulled Ella against her, holding the back of her head with such tender love that Ella buried her head into her mother's shoulder, gripping onto her in fear she would never get to do so again.

"You were only three years old the last time I saw you," Ella heard Regina whisper. "No." Regina seemed to correct herself as she cradled her. "You were three years, one month-"

"...and five days."

Regina looked up to see Emma having completed her sentence for her. She was crying, much like Regina herself, much like Ella.

The loss they had felt upon losing both Henry and Ella was nothing compared to the emotions running in the current moment. It didn't feel real and Regina was terrified to let go of her daughter for fear that she would fade away into nothing and it would prove to be a dream. She couldn't lose her, either of them, not again.

Ella was crying freely now, much like a child needing comfort, and Regina drew the fingers that held her head through her hair, murmuring soft words of soothing. She was staring at Emma as she did so and a silent communication followed. Carefully, nervously, really, Emma knelt down beside Ella and placed a hand on her back so she could rub soft circles much like the way she used to when Ella was younger and she'd carry her to bed.

"You know, I always thought your hair would lighten out to be like mine." Always the one to lighten the moment, Ella laughed at Emma's sentence and pulled back so she could look at her face. Her own was a mess of tears, her eyes puffy and cheeks red.

"Trust me," Henry chose to chime in, "she has a lot of you in her. It's kind of irritating, actually."

All laughed at that and Emma threw her son a playful glare. Really, she felt a swell of pride at his words; a warm fuzzy feeling, knowing that the baby she had carried for nine months and had only raised for three years, one month and five days, had pieces of her regardless.

Emma didn't hesitate in pulling her baby girl, now a grown woman, into her arms. She looked so relieved at the contact, like a weight had been lifted. One hand captured the back of her head while the other claimed around her body, holding her tightly. She pressed a kiss to the side of her head, an action that came naturally. Ella didn't seem to mind the contact and so she did it again, smiling despite herself.

They had questions, all of them, about many things. But for now they didn't ask.

Why question a good thing?

It seemed, that what they had lost in the fire, currently began to rebuild - the ash rising and reshaping and igniting a completely new fire, one that would burn brighter than anything else.


	2. Chapter 2

******Title:** Things We Lost In The Fire**  
****Rating: **M**  
****Pairing(s): **Emma/Regina. It does include other characters, however. Maybe heavily at times.**_  
_****Show/Fandom: **Once Upon a Time (a hint of Fringe)  
**Warning(s): **Brief mention of a self-inflicted wound, but nothing too trigger-y, I hope.  
**Author's note: **To those who took the time to review, follow, and favourite the story, thanks! Keep in mind that this story is _all _Swan Queen. It's a little Ella-heavy right now, but her journey is _very _important (especially where Emma and Regina are concerned) and in future chapters you will understand why. I hope you enjoy chapter two.  
**Here's a disclaimer: **Yeah, I don't own anything but the writing. This is just for fun.  
**Dedication:** Because I forgot in the last chapter, but this is all for Lola because she listens to me ramble about insane Fringe/ONCE parallels and even adds to the mix with her own thoughts and ideas. Lola, you're awesome.  
**Summary: **The year is 2033 and magic has been exposed to the world. Those unfortunate enough to be considered magical face troubling fates, but hope comes in the form of the most powerful magic of all - True Love.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO**

* * *

_2:18am._

Sleep evaded her, as she knew it would. Whether it was because of her adrenaline rush, meeting her parents, or because of the fact that the plan had _actually _worked, she didn't know. Maybe it was because of all three, it wouldn't surprise her, it was overwhelming.

The reunion had been short-lived as the questions came rolling in accordingly.

How. Why. And how again.

Henry did most of the talking, he knew them better than she did. Though he didn't tell their parents the full extent of what was going on outside of the plane, that was a story for the following day. They ate dinner silently after that, and Ella could feel eyes on her the whole time. Emma, Regina, probably both—she never glanced up from the meal once, her thoughts were all-consuming.

And now here she was, at 2am in the morning, laying in the bed that belonged to her three year old self and staring at the ceiling.

Nothing had changed, the plane had preserved everything meticulously. Now that Ella was inside the room that once belonged to her, it was like she had never left. It was funny, sense memory, how something as simple as a smell or a touch or a sound could bring back the most forgotten of things.

Like the soft carpet of the hall under bare feet reminded her of a time when a Maine storm became too much for her three year old self.

Like the creaking of her moms' bedroom door reminded her of how she opened it slowly in search of comfort from the thunderous booms.

Like the smell of their room reminded her of the perfume Mama used to wear before going to a _Town Meeting. _

And how the taste of their dessert earlier—mint chocolate chip ice cream—reminded her of a time when Mama's town meeting ran late and Mommy gave her and Henry that same ice cream while they watched a movie about cowboys.

Mama hadn't been particularly happy about that, seeing as they had already ate ice cream after dinner that day. But when she came home and found all three asleep on the couch while the credits rolled, Ella remembered waking sleepily to see the smile on her face and dozed back to sleep in her mama's arms as she carried her to her bedroom humming a soft tune near her ear.

She wasn't three anymore, she wasn't even a child; she was a woman.

But it was difficult to differentiate when the feelings came back so strong and the urge to climb into her moms' bed was just as overwhelming as the day itself.

When she knew that sleep definitely wouldn't come, she got out of bed and stretched her long limbs. The only source of light was that of the moon as it shone through the sliver in the curtains. It bathed the pale blue walls in light but mostly the room was owned by the shadows. She took the time to take in her surroundings properly for the first time since entering the bedroom almost three hours earlier.

Luckily for her, some time eighteen years ago, her little self's toddler bed had been traded in for a standard single. Granted it had a rail on the side to ensure that she wouldn't fall out as a child, but she found it easy to remove with a slide and click. It still donned the bed covers she remembered, though—blue and purple swirls, a nod to the magic she was created from.

A toy box sat in corner with a dragon covering the side. Below the dragon stood a knight with long blonde hair, using her sword to deflect the monster's fire. And beside that was a rocking horse, one handcrafted from Geppetto himself. To her left stood a bookshelf and beside it an art easel while a unicorn mobile, blue and crystal, hung next to the dreamcatcher by her window.

She remembered it all, but at the same time she didn't, like some distant dream she was trying to recall.

The white tank top and pyjama bottoms that Emma gave her were a little loose, but comfortable. They smelt like everything she had forgotten and she brought the fabric to her nose once more before settling out into the hall where her bare feet met the carpet and for a split second she was transported back to that moment during the storm all those years ago.

* * *

_Little feet padded on the carpet through the dark hall. Normally she would have gone to Henry first, where her brother would let her slip into bed beside him and read his storybook to her. But he was out at a sleepover at their grandparent's (she didn't like being separated from Mama during the bad weather) and so instead she reached for the handle of her moms' bedroom door._

_The door creaked open as a particularly loud rumble rattled the skies. It was awfully loud, terrifyingly so for a three year old, and the whimper of surprise that passed her lips wasn't subtle._

_Attuned into the fact that she had children that depended on her, it was easy to wake Regina from a sleep. But she had never slept deeply since adopting Henry, always worrying that maybe he would stop breathing or get snatched in the middle of the night or maybe even need a diaper change—she didn't want him uncomfortable, after all. _

_So when the roar sounded and the whimper followed, her eyes snapped open all too quickly._

_It also roused the sleeping blonde beside her who popped up her head with one eye squinting open._

"_What is it?"_

_When faced with the question, Regina nodded her head to the right to where their door was cracked open and a small figure's shadow was looming._

_Emma smiled both knowingly and sleepily. She had wondered how long it would take for their daughter to get spooked out by the noises caused by the storm._

_Ella was standing there, the picture of innocence with eyes wide and one hand clutching the handle. The other lay at her side, curled into a fist. She had yet to move, caught between being scared and not wanting to disturb her sleeping mothers, thinking that maybe she could get in trouble for not sleeping in her own bed like a big girl should. They had just got it remodelled._

"_Ella?" Regina questioned gently, her voice soft and somewhat hoarse with sleep. _

_She now sat up, a little concerned that the child hadn't moved. Yet her lips curled in adoration for the beautiful three year old and she tilted her head sympathetically. She too hadn't been fond of the loud weather as a child, especially when living in a large castle where the sound reverberated._

_Though she supposed that was something minor when paired with the fact that she didn't have a mother to comfort her through the loud thunder and vicious flashes. She took pride in the fact that it was something she could offer her own child, a sense of security and love._

_So she nudged Emma because the woman always had a way of coaxing a smile out of their children._

"_I think someone needs a mommy sandwich," came Emma's muffled sentence from where she had ducked her head back under the blankets and attempted to dodge the nudge. _

_Finally, with a sigh, she sat up fully and threw the duvet from her covered legs. Instantly she regretted such a decision when the cold night chill wrapped around her bare limbs. _

"_Oh, Jesu—" Emma was able to cut herself off in time before swearing in front of the kid but she did shiver as her feet touched the floor._

_If anything it gave her the incentive to rush over and scoop Ella over her shoulder with a pat to her bottom. It evoked a series of beautiful and musical giggles from the child who had seemingly forgotten about the storm with the attention she was getting._

_Once settled into the bed, Ella got exactly what she was looking for, her mommy sandwich. _

_Emma lay on her stomach with her mini-me copying the position. Though they didn't share the same hair colour, they shared the same curls. _As a princess should, _Regina had teased one night._

_Beside her Regina scooted down, eyes closing as she placed her fingers in their daughter's hair and ran them through the tresses in a way her own mother only ever did when wanting her to look presentable. This, she smiled sleepily, was out of love._

_Emma stretched her arm over the child to wrap around Regina's hip and then pressed a kiss to Ella's head, Regina's fingers, and closed her eyes as sleep claimed her once again._

_Comfortable between Regina and Emma, it didn't take long for Ella to drift off to sleep, her body positioned on her stomach with one arm tucked underneath and the other nestled in the pillow._

* * *

The memory ended as soon as Ella spotted the door at the end of the hallway no doubt harbouring her same-age(ish) sleeping parents. She spared the door one more glance before walking down the winding staircase and making her way into the kitchen.

She certainly didn't expect to find Regina there, nursing a mug of hot chocolate.

"I figured you'd be in bed."

"I was." Regina answered with a brief smile. "But I couldn't sleep."

Ella held a look that said _ah, ditto _and moved to rest against the kitchen island, the opposite side from her mother.

Silence enveloped the kitchen, with both women just standing there and neither knowing what to say to one another. It wasn't like they could slip back into the roles of mother and daughter, too much had happened for it to be so easy.

Regina just looked at her—her daughter—in something close to awe and maybe disbelief. Her baby wasn't a baby anymore and she had questions, so many questions. But she couldn't seem to voice them.

Instead Regina offered what she could, which was a gesture to the pot on the cooker that held the hot chocolate she had made, still warm. "Would you—"

"Sure." Ella smiled, her answer quick and knowing.

They settled down beside one another at the dining table and the silence, unlike before, was oddly nice and comforting.

One leg drawn up to rest on the chair, Ella angled her body somewhat so she was facing Regina whereas her mother—dressed in a pair of blue silk pyjamas that she swore she could remember—opted to sit straight and forward. She supposed, in some ways, she would always have the Queen inside her.

Regina was the one to break the silence though it looked as though she struggled with it. A difficult question, Ella assumed, from the way she went to speak, stopped herself, and then inhaled a breath as she gazed at her so intently that Ella felt like she was under interrogation.

But her eyes softened and her words were even softer. Sad, really.

"How old are you?"

She wanted to know how much time had passed, Ella realised. Curling her fingers around her mug, she smiled tenderly. "I'm twenty-one." Regina parted her lips to say something but Ella got there much quicker. "It's 2033," she informed her, much to her mother's surprise.

Taken aback by the newfound information, Regina took a sip from her hot chocolate just to give herself something to do and stop her need of wanting to pace and maybe freak out a little.

For her it had been a mere few months, she had accounted for the time difference but she hadn't been aware that it would be so drastic. Eighteen years had passed.

Enough time for her boy to become a man and her girl to become a woman.

And so she wondered, what had transpired during that time?

* * *

The bed was warm when she got into it at around 4am. Emma was on her side, facing away and Regina smiled. The woman really did have the ability to sleep through the end of the world.

"Where were you?"

Or not.

Settling under the covers and placing her head on the pillow, Regina closed her eyes briefly and felt the movement of Emma beside her. When she opened her eyes Emma was looking at her, examining her in a way that made her feel naked.

"Just downstairs," was Regina's dismissive answer.

They had had a rough day and that was _before _their kids from the future showed up randomly. It had been a breaking point, or would have been, if they hadn't been interrupted.

Because Regina was always so dismissive about things since _that day _her answer caused Emma's features to darken.

"Don't do that, don't—" she sighed and some of her resolved weakened "—don't push me away." Really, all she wanted was to be let in.

"I couldn't sleep." Regina answered after a beat. She gave in to Emma's wishes though exhaled a sigh and moved to lie on her back and face the ceiling rather than inquisitive eyes.

"So I went to—" she swallowed thickly, her fingers playing with the top of the duvet "—check their rooms. Out of habit, I suppose. I was so used to seeing their beds empty that I—I forgot, for a moment. So I went downstairs and made hot chocolate."

That prompted Emma to sit up a little, leaning on her elbow for support. Regina preferred coffee to hot chocolate and had only ever drank the beverage during cold nights with their kids. It had stopped completely months ago, back when Regina lost a part of herself, back when they both had.

Regina knew what it meant but was glad when Emma didn't comment. "And Ella came down. She couldn't sleep either." The corners of her mouth twitched upward briefly. "I guess she gets that from me."

"Yeah." Emma breathed a laugh. "The kid and I sleep like logs."

In reference to Henry, Regina allowed herself to smile. "Indeed." She agreed. "Though I don't appreciate your drooling."

"I do not drool."

"You do."

"I do?"

"Mmm." Regina murmured.

Emma made a face but chose to not comment further. She mirrored Regina's position of laying on her back and after a moment of silence, turned her head to the side. "What did you two talk about?"

"Nothing, really." Regina answered because it was the truth. It had been small talk, if anything. Suddenly Regina turned on her side. "Did you know that she's twenty-one?"

Emma's eyebrows shot up. "Then that would make Henry… Oh my god."

"I know." Regina agreed.

In a sound like a wince, Emma murmured, "kid's the same age as me."

"It seems that time moves differently here on this plane, more so than we imagined."

"Yeah, no shit."

"It doesn't make sense."

Emma turned now so once again the two were facing. "What? Magic? Because that doesn't ever make sense."

"No," she shook her head. "Why now?" When met with Emma's puzzled look, Regina sighed. "I remember that day clearly Emma, we thought—well, eighteen years have passed. So, why now?"

They had gotten brief explanations from Henry earlier, but it hadn't been anything substantial or concrete. If anything it left them with more questions than answers. Regina was always a person in high authority, the one pulling the strings. Now she felt oddly out of her comfort zone and she didn't like it.

Emma seemed to be pondering the same question. They had been busy seeing it as a blessing. Hey, your thought-to-be-dead kids show up, hug first, questions later.

It was also easier to focus on such a thing rather than face the last few months head on with emotions neither were ready nor willing to handle.

"You think there's something bigger going on?"

"Well, apparently it's the end of the world." Regina retorted sarcastically and for a moment Emma saw her as Mayor Mills, her son's adoptive bitchy mom whom she met way back when. "So yes, I would say there is definitely something bigger going on."

"Then we'll ask them about it in the morning." Emma decided as she knew Regina's sarcasm was a front. She was struggling, they both were. "But for now…"

Emma shuffled down in the bed with an arm wrapping around Regina's middle. The action came so naturally, like an instinct, that she briefly forgot that they hadn't 'cuddled' in months.

When she realised her mistake her eyes that had shut in favour of sleep snapped open.

To her surprise she found Regina looking at her and it almost looked like she could cry. But nothing was said on the matter.

"Sleep." Regina decided to say, finishing Emma's sentence even though it didn't need finishing, her action was answer enough.

Emma smiled and as if nothing had happened, as if those past few months meant nothing, they moulded into one another's arms where sleep came easier than it had in a long time.

* * *

"Are you awake?"

"No, I just answer questions in my sleep."

Ella rolled her eyes as she padded into Henry's room. Carefully, quietly, she closed the door behind her. She had just bid goodnight to their mother, but it was a conversation with her brother that was needed.

The room before her was just as Henry had left it eighteen years ago. From the clocks on the walls to the laptop in its case, to the globe in the far corner and the poster on the back of his door. She noticed a stack of books on his desk and what appeared to be homework.

The plane really _did_ copy everything down to a T.

Shaking herself from her impressed reverie, she approached his bed and sat at the foot whereas Henry pulled himself into a sitting position against the headboard.

"I need a way off of this plane." Ella got straight to the point, something she no doubt got from Regina. And Emma. Both, really.

If Henry wasn't awake before, he certainly was now.

"What?" He asked, blinking, had he heard her correctly? "We _just _got here."

"And how long do you think it will take for Javier to realise that I haven't reported for duty? I doubt this plane gets cell reception, Henry."

She had a point, Henry could see that. The wheels turned in his mind, telling him that their cover was crucial, but the boy in him wanted to spend time with his mothers.

"If they don't get in contact with me then they will activate my tracker." Ella explained to him even though it was something he already knew and considered. "And with all the technological advancements, not to mention how they have successfully added magic into the mix, they—"

"I get it," Henry interrupted her, "I understand."

"We came here for a reason, we have a plan to execute. We cannot let our feelings cloud our judgement, it—" Ella's whole body stiffened and she basically had to force the words out of her mouth "—gets people killed."

"Didn't you _only just_ say that we should let our emotions drive us in this battle?" Henry arched an eyebrow while choosing not to say anything about the latter of her sentence. She appreciated that.

"Not these emotions," she countered quickly. "Listen, just give me the mappings so I can find a way off of this plane and accept the phone call at 0800 hours."

Henry relented. "Same way out as in."

So she had to get into her parents' bedroom, somehow, without them noticing, so she could use the magic within her created from their True Love to get back to the _'real' _world. Of course.

"Why their room anyway?" She questioned out of curiosity after she went over about three different scenarios in her head about how she could do it without getting caught.

Henry just shrugged though a smile tugged on the corners of his mouth. "It's where the love is most pure," he told her and added with a scrunch of his nose, "…and I'm pretty sure it's where you were conceived."

Ella just looked at him pointedly and he chuckled. "Whatever," she muttered but found herself smiling anyway.

As Henry got comfortable in the bed yet again, he heard his sister's question.

"Mind if I stay in here with you?"

They weren't kids anymore and Ella certainly didn't need protecting, in fact, she more often than not was the one to cover his ass. But it was said so softly that he exhaled and nodded.

"Sure. Just stay at the end so it's not creepy."

Ella, like earlier, rolled her eyes—this time with the hint of a smile, but accepted the pillow he threw down to her and got comfortable on the opposite end of the bed. Surprisingly enough, she was able to fall asleep, though her fingers remained clasped on the necklace around her neck.

* * *

"Apple pancakes!" Emma announced with a grin as she placed the plate in front of Henry. "Made 'em myself." He just looked at her in a way that was all Regina and made her shift on the spot with his _oh, really? _gaze. "Alright, so maybe I didn't. But I totally helped."

Henry smiled, only now realising how much he had missed his mother and the way she acted. And how he could connect with her so freely because, in a way, she was just as much of a kid as he was. Though now they were pretty much the same age, but the dynamic hadn't changed a bit.

So he chuckled with a shaking head and forked himself some apple pancakes.

"If by help you mean eat all my ingredients, then yes, you helped."

Emma's eyes rolled to their own accord as Regina's voice droned from behind her. "Yeah, yeah," she murmured, waving her off as she took the plate of pancakes Regina offered her.

The fourth plate was left unattended and Regina looked around the kitchen, past where her two cavemen were eating with their hands, to find that her daughter was no longer in the kitchen.

"Henry," she began, her voice taking on a soft tone, "where's your sister?"

His mouth was half full when he responded with, "business."

"Don't talk with your mouth full," she parented her adult son as she placed the kitchen towel over her shoulder. "Business?" She questioned, an octave lower.

When asking for clarification, Henry nodded. He didn't dare speak with his mouth full this time.

"Spit it out." Emma spoke up as she saw the look on her son's face. He wasn't telling the whole truth, her superpower was going off like an alarm.

Regina sidled up beside her, a little confused at her wife's actions.

"She has an important call at eight, so she had to leave the plane to receive it." He explained to them both with a roll of his shoulders. He noticed Regina's face, the way she looked panicked for a moment but quickly rebuilt the walls and Emma's face, the way it paled noticeably as she stood a little tighter.

"Don't worry she'll be back," he added quickly. "It's just, see—" he sighed, suddenly losing his appetite. "We have a lot to talk about."

His mothers looked at one another, silently communicating about their talk the night before.

"Indeed we do." Regina nodded but carried out her breakfast duties anyway. "Orange juice?"

* * *

Sat on the edge of their bed, Emma watched as Regina paced the length of their bedroom, basically burrowing holes in the carpet with her feet as she did so.

"Regina, stop pacing."

"It's ten o'clock."

"I know."

"A phone call shouldn't take two hours."

A sigh. "Well…"

"Something is wrong."

"Henry said that—"

Regina whipped her head in Emma's direction, effectively cutting her off with her piercing glare. Her jaw tensed. "Something. Is. Wrong."

"Regina." Emma pushed herself off the bed and moved to the pacing brunette. She placed a hand on each arm and stilled her movements. "Henry said that it could take a while. Let's trust him on this."

Henry _did _know more about the outside world then she did, Regina surmised to herself. Still, she didn't like relinquishing control in any situation. Though she wondered if she ever actually had it when her children had so much knowledge on things she couldn't even begin to understand.

They still needed that talk.

And as if on queue the centre of their room was bathed in a bright white glow and when it disappeared their adult daughter was standing there looking at them.

Emma looked validated. "See, she—"

"We need to leave," came Ella's quick—was she breathless?—interruption.

Only then did Emma notice the winding path of blood on her left arm, just above her wrist. "What the hell?" She left one brunette in favour for the other and took a hold of Ella's arm. The wound looked self-inflicted, like she had been trying to dig something out.

"What is this?" Regina questioned beside Emma, too taking a hold of their daughter's bloodied arm.

Ella dismissed them like it was nothing and pulled back her arm. Yet she gave them an explanation because their concerned looks became overwhelming and she found that she didn't like it when they were worried.

"I had to remove my tracker but I'm afraid I didn't do it on time."

Henry chose that moment to burst in through the bedroom door, a radio/walkie in his hand. The static was loud as it boomed from the speakers but the sound of a male filtered through the chaos.

"Zeroing in on her location now. Over."

It all sounded very military to Emma's ears whereas Regina's seemed to be ringing. This wasn't their world, not anymore, they both were realising.

"Sir," the male spoke, "we picked up a brief signal from Maine but it's gone now."

Instead of placing blame, like he easily could, Henry merely turned the dial and toned down the noise from the walkie. "We need to get the hell out of here—all of us."

"This plane is safe, no one that isn't magical can access it." Regina assured him but her heart was thumping wildly. "They'd need to know how, too," she added. It was then that she realised she didn't know how her children had been able to find, let alone access, the plane.

They _really_ needed that talk.

"Yeah, maybe eighteen years ago," Henry scoffed. "They've made improvements. And now that they know…"

"Henry's right." Ella nodded in his direction and he disappeared out of the room, taking off in a run to grab what was essential to them.

Emma had wrapped her arm around Regina's middle and it seemed awfully protective.

"Gather everyone on this plane because we need to leave." Ella informed them both. "And we need to do it now."


End file.
